Young families pushing strollers down Southport Avenue in Lakeview – an area known as “Stroller Alley” – often pass by a the theater best known visually by its magnificent marquee out front which simply reads, “MUSIC BOX.”

It’s hard to miss it at night when it’s lit up in a bright red glow, and has been a staple in the North Side neighborhood for many years. In a city full of many magnificent arts — music, dance, sculpture and acting, The Music Box stands out in Chicago’s fleet of historic theaters and auditoriums built in the late 1800s and early 1900s that still stand and operate today.

Located just a few blocks west of Wrigley Field, and built nearly a century ago, the Music Box Theater is widely considered one of the most historical places in Chicago.

Below is a map of 10 great pizza places to try around UIC. Each location offers its own unique atmosphere as well as many varieties of pizza. Each resturant is located within walking distance or a short drive from the UIC campus. Whether you want a late night slice, or a fancy stuffed pie, this list surely has pizza that everyone will love.

2017 marked the third year in a row that a Star Wars film was released. This year, it was Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the second installment of the new Disney Star Wars trilogy. two years ago, Star Wars returned to the big screen with The Force Awakens. Naturally, the hype surrounding the movie was far spread, especially because of the gigantic fanbase Star Wars has.

The new trilogy introduced a slew of new characters for the franchise- characters that fans wanted to know more about. As shown in this Google trends graph, it shows the most googled Star Wars characters of all time. At the top by a large margin is one of the most popular characters of all time- Darth Vader. No surprise here, as this character is more or less the face of the Star Wars franchise. However, included in the top five are characters from the new trilogy as well (i.e. Rey and BB-8).

Rey and BB-8 are two of the more popular characters from the new trilogy. They are heavily marketed to the public and play important roles in the film. Around the time these new Star Wars films release, it can be inferred that fans want to learn more about these interesting characters.

Porgs

With a new Star Wars movie comes new characters, as well as new technologies, and even new creatures. Star Wars is known for having the most unique and intriguing aliens throughout each film. It adds to the entertainment and creative aspect of the franchise.

In The Last Jedi, we were introduced to a brand new species- Porgs. Porgs are an alien species that seem to be a mix of a rat and a bird. They were first introduced to Star Wars fans when the first movie trailer dropped in October 2017. During this time, internet searches including “ports” skyrocketed.

Before this trailer, not many people at all were looking up anything about ports, as they were not mainstream yet. as seen on this Google trends graph internet searches for Porgs are at its two highest points when the trailer releases, as well as when the actual film released in December.

“This is so important to our state, not only in the past, but certainly now and in the future,” Quinn said.
“We want everyone to have the opportunity to go to college that has the ability to go to college.”

MAP grants are need-based college scholarships that allow merit students who are in need across the state and do not need to be repaid by the student. Quinn said that due to cutbacks and having to pay more money in the pension amount, almost 18,000 students lost their MAP grant scholarships this year.Continue reading →